05.30.2017

Bats Changes EDGA Pricing

05.30.2017

Bats, the second-largest U.S. stock exchange operator, said it will relaunch its EDGA Equities Exchange due to industry feedback and debate regarding exchange fee structures.

The change, which begins on Thursday, will move EDGA to a simpler low- fee model, the company said in a release. The fees are available to all EDGA members and no pricing tiers are involved. Orders adding displayed liquidity or removing liquidity receive a standard rate of $0.0003 per share. Regarding non-displayed orders, ones adding liquidity are free, while ones removing liquidity receive a fee of $0.0005.

Recent industry discussion has emphasized fee structures and their supposed effect regarding liquidity provision, liquidity taking, possible conflicts and order routing within the U.S Equity market. The U.S. Security and Exchange Commission’s Equity Market Structure Advisory Committee suggested that an ‘access fee’ pilot be instigated to more strongly understand the dynamics. The intention of the move  is to move the discussion closer to a market practice of reduced transaction costs.

Head of U.S Equities and Global FX Bryan Harkins said regarding the change: “Over a decade ago, EDGA became the first market to break away from the maker-taker fee model employed by most other equity exchanges. We believe the time is right to relaunch a low-cost, simple pricing structure following widespread discussions with our customers on topics like the access fee pilot. As an operator of four equities exchanges, we are ideally positioned to offer a market solution to these themes without sacrificing the critical mass and deep liquidity that EDGA has offered the industry for years.”

Additionally, the firm recently declared plans to utilize a new, competitively priced alternative to the primary closing auctions that occur at the end of the U.S equities trading day. The launch, which continues to be subject to regulatory approval, follows increasing demand industry participants who remain frustrated by rising closing auctions fees at primary listing venues, which have increased from between 16 and 60 percent over the last five years.

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